Die for punch presses and the like



Nov. 28, 1944. JOHN 2,363,596

DIE FOR PUNCH PRESSES 'AND THE LIKE Filed May 25. 1942 INVENTORHENRYL/OHN, 5 M

Affor-nea.

.quite frequently in order that the Patented Nov. 28, 1944 UNITED STATEom FOR BUNCH PATENT OFFICE messes t PRESSES AND THE LIKE Henry J hn,;Sharon, Pa.,

assignorto Carnegie- Illinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of NewJersey Application May25, 1942, Serial No.444,436

3 Claims. ol. 153-51) This inventionrelates to dies for punchpresses andthe like and, particularly to animproved apparatus or die for use inpresses for straightening metallic material, such as armor plate and pthe like. a

It is thegeneral practice in the steel industry; plates, such as armorplates, after they have been heat treated. Such to straighten heavysteel straightening is usually done by means of a heavy hydraulic orbrake press which bends the plate beyond the elastic limit of the steelin a direction opposite that of the other irregularity in the plate.Apair offdies .for contacting the. opposite sides of the plate so as tobend the same is assembled in the press for such straighteningoperations.

Heretofore, one of the dies consisted generally of a slab or dieblockhaving a recess therein on the outer face thereof into which the platebeing straightened was pressed, and the other cropposed die consisted ofa slab or die block having a projecting portion or face which wasadapted to cooperate with the recess in the opposed die to straightenany irregularities in the plate. Such bends or other irregularities maybe located at various points along the plate and also may be in anydirection with reference to the surface To remove the bends or or edgesof the plate.

bend, kink or It is still a further object of this invention to providean improved die for. use with. presses for straightening metallic plateswhichis simple and inexpensive in its construction, and at the.

same time, a die which is eflicient and effective inits use. i it 1Various other objects and advantagesof this inventionwvill become moreapparent during the course of the following specification. and will beparticuarly pointed out in the appendedclaims;

In the accompanying drawing there is shown,

for the purpose of illustration, anembodiment which my invention mayassume in practice.

In the drawing: a l Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the im proveddie of my invention, showing the same assembled in position in a pressfor straighteningplate material; and i i 1 Fig. 2 is a sectionalview-taken on. line IIII of.Fig.1. u r Referring more particularly tothe drawing.

the "improved die of my invention comprises a rectangular-shaped bodymember or dieblock 2 having a base portion 3 and vertically extendingside portions 4. There. is arranged between'the side portions 4 of thedie block 2, aplurality of,

spaced "apart reciprocably arranged block-like other irregularities bydies heretofore mentioned regardless of the direction of theirregularity therein after the same has once been assembled between thedies, thereby eliminating excessive handling of the platesand reducingtheplatestraighteningtimetoa minimum. 1

It is another object of the invention to proprocedure was not entirelysatis-,

male and feproperside of the Such turning of the vide an improved diefor usewith presses for straightening metallic plates which can be usedeither as a female or a male die membryand one which can be easily andquicklyponverted from one to the other.

members 5, namely three in the present instance. The ends of theblock-like members 5 are disposediin vertically arranged guide grooves 6arranged on the innersides of the side portions "forguiding theblock-likemeinbers in their reciprocable movement. There is arranged ineach oftheguideways 6 centrally thereof, an inwardly projecting portionpreferably in the form of a pin 1 which isadapted to extend into aslotted hole or opening 8 arrangedin-the respectiveend of the block-likemember 5. i

On top of the base portion 3 of the die block 2 and. directly below theblock-like members 5, there is disposed a longitudinally extendingplate-like member 9 having a plurality of raised or cam portions I0disposed on the upper side 1 thereof which are adapted to cooperate withthe inner or lower sides of theblock-like members 5 in a mannerhereinafter to be described. The plate-like member 8 is arranged forslidable movement relative to the base portion 3 and the block-likemembers 5, and theedges thereof are preferably disposed in horizontallyor longitudinally extending guide grooves I 2 arranged in the sideportions "4 adjacent the bottom thereof directly above the bottomportion 30f the body member; The bottom side of the plate-like member 9is preferably recessed as at l3 so as to provide suitable stop portionsId at each ,end thereof. An upwardly extending portion 3a of the baseportion 3 is adapted to fit in the recess [3 with the stop portions 14carried by the platelike member 9 adapted to cooperate with the endsthereof so as to limit the horizontal movement of the plate-like memberand to position the same in the proper position after adjustment.

It will be understood that the inner or lower sides of the block-likemembers 5 rest upon and bear directly against the upper or outer side ofthe plate-like member 9. The eam-like portions I carried by theplate-like member 9 are adapted to cooperate with the inner or lowersides of the block-like members so as to move the same from a retractedposition between the side walls of the body member to a projectedposition thereabove so that a portion of the block-like members willextend above the side walls and the remaining portion of the body memberwhen they are disposed in their projected position. It will beunderstood that the cam portions [0 are arranged on the plate 9 so thatthe outermost block-like members 5 are. in their projected or raisedpositions when the cam portions disposed directly therebelow with thecenter block-like member adapted to assume a retracted position, asshown in Fig. l of the drawing. The purpose of the pins I is to limitthe upward movement of the block-like members 5 and to retain thesemembers in the die block at all times so as to prevent escapement of thesame therefrom.

At each end of the plate-like member 9, there i arranged therethroughpreferably a hole or opening I5 which is adapted to be in alignment whenthe plate is in one position with a similar hole It arranged in each endof the base portion 3 of the body member. There is provided preferably atapered pin member I! having a handle portion l8 carried thereby forinsertion through the hole l5 in the plate 9 and the hole [6 in the baseportion 3 so as to lock the plate in the desired position.

The improved die of my invention functions in the following manner:

It will be understood that the die of my invention is adapted to be usedprimarily for straightening metallic plates, such as steel armor platesand the like, and that it may be used with any conventional-type press.There is provided an upper and lower die which are identical and each isconstructed in the manner hereinbefore described. One of the dies ispositioned on the platen of the press with which the dies areto be usedand the other or upper die is positioned directly opposite the lower dieand attached to the ram of the press. The plate P to be straightened isplaced between the dies in the press and if. the plate to bestraightened has an upward bend or kink therein, 1. e. a bend extendingupwardly from the top surface. of the plate as it is positioned betweenthe dies, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, in order to remove suchbend therefrom, it is necessary to bend the plate at the bend in adownwardly direction. To remove such a bend by means of the die of thepresent invention, the plate 9 of the bottom die, together with the camportions it! carried thereby, is moved to the left as shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawing and the plate 9 of the upper die, together with the camportions l0 car ried thereby, is moved to the right. It will beunderstood that the block-like members 5 are moved to their projectedpositions and held in such positions by the camming action of the camportions l0 carried by the plate 9. The respective pins 11 are theninserted into the aligned holes l5 and I6 in the plates 9 and the baseportion 3, respectively, so as to lock the plates in position. With theplates and cam portions arranged in such position, it will be seen thatthe two outer blocks of the bottom die and the center block of the topdie are in their projected or raised positions while the remainder ofthe blocks, namely the outer blocks of the upper die and the centerblocks of the lower die, are disposed in their lowered or retractedpositions. It will also be seen that with the cam plates arranged insuch position the block-like members 5 of one die will assume theirretracted positions when the directly opposed block-like members of theother die assume their projected positions. The inner and outer sideedges of each of the block-like members 5 are preferably relieved as atl9 with the relieved edges on the lower sides of the blocks 5 adapted toprovide a better camming action between the cam portions I0 and thelower sides of i the blocks 5 and with the relieved portions onthe uppersides of the blocks adapted to provide abetter surface for contactingthe face of the plate to be straightened so as not to mark the same.With the block-like members 5 disposed in the positions as shown in Fig.1, it will be seen that the plate P will be bent in a direction oppositethat of the bend therein upon operation of the ramof the press; that is,the center block-like member 5 of the upper die which is in itsprojected position, is disposed opposite the center of the bend on theupper side thereof and the two outer block-like members 5 of the lowerdie are positioned to either side of the center of the kink. When theupper die is moved downwardly by the ram the projected center block 5 ofthe upper die will tend to bend the plate P about the projeotedoutermostblocks 5 of the lower die which act as fulcrums.

If it is desired to remove a downwardly extending bend or kink from theplate P, i. e. a bend extending downwardly from the bottom surface ofthe plate as it is-positioned between the dies, the position of theplate-like members 9, together with the cam portions l0 carried'thereby,is reversed to that shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing; that is, plate 9 ofthe upper die is moved to the left and that of the lower die to theright.

In such position it will be seen that the center block 5 of the. lowerdie,- together with the blocks of the 'upper'die, is in its projectedposition and that the other blocks are in their retracted positions.With the blocks 5 in such position, it will be seen that when the ram ofthe press is operated so as to move the upper die downwardly and inengagement with the top surface of the plate, the plate P will be bentupwardly to remove the bend therefrom.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there isprovided animproved die which can be used either as a female die member or a maledie member, thereby providing a die which is extremely flexible in itsuse. By providing such a die for use in presses for straighteningmetallic plates it will be seen that the die can be easily and quicklyconverted from a male die to a female die or vice versa, therebyeliminating the necessity of turning the plate over from time to timefor straightening of bends or kinks disposed in opposite directions. Itwill be seen that the die of the present invention is extremely simplein its operation and use and will. effectively remove any irregularitiesfrom a straighten the same properly.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention,it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose ofillustration and description and that various other forms may be devisedwithin the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim: l l

1. Apparatus for straightening metallic plates and the like, includingapair of opposed dies, a plurality of spaced apart movable block-likemembers carried by each of said dies with each of said block-likemembers being positioned directly opposite a block-like member in theopposed die, said block-like members of each of said dies in oneposition. adapted to project beyond the other block-like members and theremaining portions of the die and in another position adapted to assumea, retracted position inwardly from the remaining portions thereof withthe block-like members of one of said dies adapted to assume theirretracted positions when the directly olpposed block-like members of theopplate so as to posed die assume their projected positions, at

least one of said block-like members of each of saiddies adapted toassume a retracted position when'the other block-like members assumetheir projected positions, means carried by each of said dies forguiding the respective block-like members carried thereby in theirmovement to their retracted and projected positions, a plate-like membercarried by each of said dies and arranged rearwardly of said block-likemembers, and a plurality of sipaced apart camportions carried by each ofsaid plate-like members which are adapted to cooperate with saidblock-like members, said block-like members adapted to assume normally aretracted position and said plate-like member upon movement thereofadapted to move said block-like members by a camming action of the camcarried thereby to their projected positions.

2. Apparatus for straightening metallic plates and the like, including apair of opposed identical dies, each of said dies comprising a bodymember, a plurality of spaced apart movable block-like members carriedby said body member with each positioned directly opposite acorresponding block-like member of the opposed die, each of saidblock-like members being arranged for reciprocable movement in theirrespective body members and in one position adapted to assume aprojected lposition extending outwardly from the body member and inanother position adapted to assume a retracted position substantiallyWithin the body member, said block-like members being arranged so as toprovide a space therebetween when disposed in their projected positionat least one of the block-like members carried by each of said bodymembers adapted to assume a retracted position when the directly opposedblock-like members carried by the opposed body member assumes aprojected position whereby the projected block-like member of each Ofsaid dies contacts opposed faces of the plate adapted to b straightenedand acts as a fulcrum during the movement of the dies toward each other,and means for moving and holding said block-like members in theirprojected positions relative to their respective body members,

said last named means comprising a reciprocable cam member carried byeach of said body members and arranged rearwardly of said block-likemembers with which it is adapted to cooperate, said block-like membersadapted to assume normally a retracted position and said cam memberadapted to move the block-like members by a cammingaction to theirprojected positions.

3. Apparatus-for straightening metallic plates and the like, including apair of opposed identical dies, each of said dies comprising a bodymember, a plurality of spaced apart movable blocklike members carried bysaid body member with each positioned directly opposite a correspondingblock-like member of the opposed die, each of said block-like membersbeing arranged for reciprocable movement in their respective bodymembers and in one position adapted to assume a projected positionextending outwardly from the body member and in another position adaptedto assume a retracted position substantially Within the body member,said block-like members being arranged so as to provide a space,therebetween when disposed in their projected position at least one ofthe block-like members carried by each of said body members adapted toassume a retracted position when the directly opposed block-likemembercarried by the opposed member assumes a projected position whereby the{projected block-like member of each the plate of said dies contactsopposed faces of adapted to be straightened and acts as a fulcrum duringthemovement of the dies toward each other, and means for moving andholding said block-like members in their projected positions relative totheir respective body members, said last named means comprising amovable platelike member carried by each of said body members andarranged rearwardlyof said block-like members carried thereby, and aplurality of cam portions carried by said plate-like member which areadapted to cooperate with said block-like members, said block-likemembers adapted to as- ,sume normally a retracted position, and saidplate-like member upon movement thereof adapted to move saidblock-likemembers to their projected positions by the camming action ofthe cam portions carried thereby. a

HENRY JOHN.

